Pocket lighter



June 13, 1950 A. CAMPOS 2,511,459

POCKET LIGHTER Filed Sept. 14, 1945 Ja//v/z/ Cam/.Ms

Patented June 13, 1950 POCKET LIGHTER Adolph Campos, Clifton, N. J., assignor to Volupte, Inc., Elizabeth, N.Y J., a corporation of New Jersey Application September 14, 1945, Serial No. 616,201

(Cl. GT4-7.1)

1 Claim. 1

This invention appertains to improvements in pocket lighters for cigarettes and the like, and has for an object to provide an efficient and practical snuiier arm operating mechanism for a lighter, embodying an' igniter' mechanism of extremely simplified construction, the lighter' assembly being attractive' in design andk appearance, light in weight, and of a compactness making. for convenience in handling and carrying on the'person, with due regard to proof against leakage of the liquid' fuel from the wick chamberY or reservoir.

Another object of thev invention has todo with the provision of an igniter mechanism for lighters of the kind specified embodying certain novel features of construction, oneV of which is resident in a pi-voted snuffer arm, formed of pressed sheet metal and open at its inner end' and at its lower side, in which a member is removably tted and is formed of a length of sheet metal, bent medial'ly of its ends to form a substantially cylindrical portion, constituting a snuffer cap and to have its opposite end portions extending in spaced parallel relation from oppositeA sideA of the cylindrical portion, the free endsv of the endportions being aperturedY commonly with thelike end portions of the snuffer arm for pivotal support on the axle of the spark-wheel unit of the igniter mechanism and having trunnion-son the outer sides of the same projecting throughA other apertures, formed in the like ends of the snuffer arm, for the pivoting thereon of the adjacent end of an actuating member.

Another object of the inventionv lies in the provision of a substantially nat, hollow body, constituting the fuel reservoir of the lighter, with the top wall thereof inset from the top edges of its. end and side walls and having the igniter mechanism, including a ratchetand spark-wheel unit and a flame snuifer, partially housed between. the side walls above the top wall, the operating element of the mechanism being slidably supported on the top wall for straight-line motion to positively actuate the flame snuiier tov expose the wick and simultaneously cause the rtation of the spark-wheel to abrade a flint Y to produce sparks to ignite the wick.

With these and other objects and advantages of equal importance in View;y the invention resides in the certain new and useful. combination, construction, and arrangement-of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, set forthvin the appended claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a practical em- 2, sediment of the lighter, in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view, taken through the line 32-3 on Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of the upper part ofthe lighter, with a portion of the side wall broken away to show the relative position of the operative partsA of the igniter mechanism at the wick igniting positions thereof and the manner of mounting the wick holder and the mechanism4 on the top wallr of the body or reservoir;

Figure 5 is a horizontal section, taken through the line 5-5'on- Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 6 is a plan ViewV of the structural element housedy within the snuier arm to couple the arm to the actu-ating member of the igniter mechanism and to function as amounting for the pawlL for operating the spark-wheel, the element also being. shaped to form thev snuffer cap for extinguishing the flame at the wick;

Figure '7' is a top plan View of the lighter' body, with the igniter mechanism' removed therefrom 'and' showing the arrangement of the'wick holder,

the ilint tube,` and the guide for the actuating member; and,

Figure 8 isa fragmentary, vertical, transverse section, taken through the line 8-8 on Figure ll, looking in the direction of thev arrows;

Referring to the drawing, wherein like characters of reference; denote corresponding parts throughout thek several views, the' lighter, as it is exemplified therein, isv comprised ina substantially flat, hollow, rectangular body, having its side walls I0 connected by rounded end walls l2, with a cap-like bottom wall ld. fitted over its lower end and secured thereto, and a top-wall I6 inset with respect to the top edges of the side and end walls. The side walls I0 are formed to providey upwardly extending portions I0', intermediate the ends thereof, which are enlarged, as at Ill, at one end of their ends to substantially semi-circular form, after the manner as shown in Figure 1. These enlargements I 0" are centrally' apertured to' receive a stationary axle or cross-pin i8, upon which a ratchet wheel' 2U' and a spark-wheel 222 of an igniter mechanism, in unitary assembly, are rotatably mounted.

Secured in an opening' in the top wall i6, adjacent one of its ends, is a tubular element 24, con'- stituting a seat for a tubular wick holder 2B, the latter havingan' out-turnedv flange at its upper 3 end to rest upon the top end of the seat in its support of the wick 28.

Mounted on the axle or cross-pin I8, is a snuler arm' 35, of sheet metal die-stamped to substantially inverted U-form in cross-section, with its side walls 38 connected at their outer ends by a rounded end wall 3B to form a protective hood, the inner ends of the snuffer arm being formed to provide substantially semi-circular enlargements 38a, apertured at their centers and engaged on the axle or crosspin I8, for pivotal motions of the snuler arm thereon.

Fitted snugly within the snufier arm 30, is a structural element 32, formed of a strip of sheet metal, bent medially of its ends to form a substantially cylindrical portion 32', constituting a snuffer cup, which is disposed immediately inward of the rounded end wall 30, of the snuffer arm. The end portions 32", of the element 32, extend in spaced relation from opposite sides of the snuffer cup 32', parallel to each other and in contact with the inner sides of the like end portions of the snuffer arm 30, and of a shape to conform thereto and similarly apertured for engagement on the axle or cross-pin I8, substantially as shown. Projecting from the outer sides of the end portions 32" are trunnions 34, which extend outwardly through complementally formed apertures provided in the like end portions of the snuffer arm 30, for purposes presently to be apparent.

Housed within the snuffer arm 30, is a pawl 36, which is pivoted on a cross-pin 38, secured at its ends in the end portions 32", of the element 32, and is held engaged with the toothed periphery of the ratchet-wheel 20, by means of a coiled spring 40, carried by the cross-pin.

Slidably supported on the top wall I6, of the body or reservoir, is an actuator member 42,

Cil

formed of sheet metal die-stamped to substanil? tially inverted U-form, with the outer ends of its side walls 42 connected by a rounded end wall 42 and having supporting flanges 42a inturned from the lower edges thereof, which flanges are engaged beneath the head of a stud 44, xedly mounted in the top wall I6. A portion of the inner end of the top wall of the actuator member 42, and upper portions of the side walls 42, are cut away to provide a clearance between the inner end of the actuator member and the adjacent end of the snuffer arm 30 and extended lower portions 42D, of the side walls 42', the portions 42h being each provided with a slot 42C for pivotal engagement with the projecting ends of the trunnions 34. The head of the stud 44 is enlarged to have a substantial transverse area for the forming therein of a recess for receiving the inner end of a coiled spring 46, which has its other end engaged over a pin or the like 48, projecting from the center of the inner side of the end wall 42", of the actuator member 42, to automatically return the latter to its normal position, following a working stroke thereof.

Opening through the bottom wall I4 and the top wall I6, of the body or reservoir', is a feed tube 50, for a flint F, the upper end of the tube opening through the top wall at a point immediately beneath the spark-wheel 22. rIhe flint F is seated in the upper end of the tube 50 and upon the upper end of a coiled spring 52, the lower end of which is engaged over` a pin 54, rising from the inner end of a closure 56, screw threaded into the lower end of the tube, the closure screw `having its head provided with a cross kerf, to be engaged by the edge of a small coin, or other suitable instrumentality.

In operation, and with liquid fuel placed within the body or reservoir through the seat 24, upon the removal of the wick holder 26 and the wick 28 therefrom and the replacement of the same therein, and a flint F positioned in the upper end of the feed tube 50, in contact with the lower side of the spark-wheel 22, the end of the wick, protruding from the holder 26, is to be ignited by sparks produced by an abrading action on the flint by a rotary motion imparted to the spark-wheel, upon the manipulation of the actuator member 42. To this end, the lighter is grasped in a hand of the user and the thumb pressed against the outer end of the actuator member 42, which is forced by such pressure inward along the top wall I6 to rock or swing the snuffer arm 3i] upward and inward to substantially vertical position on the axle or cross-pin I8, thereby lifting the snuffer cup 32 from the wick end and, at the same time, causing the pawl 36 to impart a rotary motion to the ratchet-wheel 20 and the Spark-wheel 22; sparks being produced by the abrading action of the latter wheel on the flint F to ignite the wick 28. With the release of thumb pressure on the actuator member 42, the coiled spring 46, having been placed under` compression during the operative movement of the actuating member, immediately expands and automatically returns the parts to normal positions. In the normal positions of the snuier arm and the actuator member, the underlying associated parts of the igniter mechanism are substantially enclosed, it being here noted that the top wall of the snuier arm 36 is extended over the upper portions of the peripheries of the ratchet wheel and the spark wheel and curved downwardly about the same to a point below the adjacent end edge of the top wall of the actuator member 42.

While in the foregoing, I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that the words which I have used are words of description rather than of limitation, and that changes within the purview of the appended claim may be made without departing from the true scope and spirit of my invention in its broader aspects.

What I claim is:

In a lighter, a hollow body constituting .a fuel reservoir, an ignter mechanism mounted on the top of said body adjacent an end thereof and including a rotatable spark wheel and wick, a

. snuffer arm for said ignite;` mechanism pivotally mounted between its ends on said body and having its outer end provided with a protective hood, an element having one end provided with a snufer cup housed within said snuer arm and operatively connected for pivotal movement with said snuier arm, the snufer cup of said element being arranged within the protective hood of said snuffer arm and bearing against the inner s 1"- face of the hood, an operative connection between said element and said spark wheel for rotating the latter in response to pivotal movement of said snulfer arm, an actuator member in the form of a substantially inverted U-form arranged in side-by-side relation with respect to said snuffer arm and mounted adjacent the other end of said body for slidable movement inwardly and outwardly relative to said snuffer arm, and connecting means between the adjacent ends of said actuator member and said snuffer arm to rock the latter upon slidable movement inwardly of REFERENCES CITED The following. references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 10 Number Name vDate Williams Apr. 21, 1931 Whittaker Aug. 8, 1933 Aronson May 28, 1935 Gibson Oct. 29, 1935 Zaken Aug. 12, 194'1 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Japan June 7, 1933 Austria Aug. 25, 1936 

